Here's what I am thinking... $5 per ticket to enter any raffle; the drawing takes place when there is a reasonable number of tickets or time expires. Each item will generally have a minimum ticket count and a time limit, but some items will have no time limit and some will have no minimum ticket sales (well OK at least one )

Some of these items will require an upfront investment, in which case it will not make sense for us to lose money. That can be managed with a minimum ticket sale count. In any case there should be the opportunity for people to get things at less than street value, always a benefit of these kinds of events. There should also be the willingness to pay a little more than street value to a good cause. It all works out.

So, I guess it could go as follows:

The person who offers the item decides how the raffle should go.

Options:

(a) Minimum tickets / drawing date whichever comes first.

(b) no Minimum tickets / drawing date

(c) Minimum tickets / drawing based on ticket sales

For type (a) and (b) tickets are purchased right away. PayPal will be provided for those who prefer it.

For Raffles type (c) no actual funds will be transferred but instead tickets will be distributed on promissary notes. That way of the tickets do not reach the investment cost of the item, the raffle item will be cancelled. We might do a trip to Belize this way some day.

One more question for those who are still with me...

I am considering a $25 membership program where you get 5 raffle tickets for signing up, even steven. Although it is not a smart financial plan, it offers a sense of total value and puts tickets into play for the raffles.

Thoughts?

<font size="1">Ever notice how good we are at figuring out how to do things right as a team... i.e.: conclaves, etc?</font><!--1-->

I think what we need to talk about implementation. How does/should one purchase a raffle ticket or bid on an auction? If the auction page is a place to preview an item before it goes on the block, it should probably include dates of closing. There's a lot of auction software out there, some of it free. What's in the works in that area? Juro, you hinted that you and MattB were working on something...?

Anyway, I think membership should be membership and raffle tickets a separate entity, especially given the individual complexities of each raffle. There are some items that will require a minimum amount of tickets to cover costs. Membership raffles would be cutting into defraying that cost.

Membership, IMHO, should be there to cover the basics (server fees, photo and scanning costs, software purchases, etc.). Raffles and auctions are gravy and would garner funds for activities (claves, out reach programs, thank you gifts for clave captains, etc.). I feel it would be a mistake to join the two drives.

Also, why even call it membership if what you're really doing is selling a block of raffles. If we really want to add value to membership and have it mean something, I think development of an FFF pin or tee-shirt or something is essential. All groups need a means of identifying themselves. Raffle ticks just don't cut it. Give me something physical I can wear with pride at Big Girl Bar. At the very least, this model speaks to the idea of self perpetuating membership. The item becomes a conversation piece that gets people talking which draws in like-minded individuals, and in turn, furthers our cause. It has much more group value than individual chances at winning stuff.

Guys,
You are a blizzard of ideas blowing across a flat prairie of off-season fishermen gearing up for the holidays. May I offer a different opinion for the sake of openess.
I am sure I will end up fulfilling some role in support of the club as I always have. But my tendency right now is to be overwhelmed with the options. Some of it is me as I am easily overwhelmed lately with the typical stress of the holiDAZE and srceaming kids. But my feeling here is to proceed cautiously against the backdrop of our past great successes. Can we sum up all the proposals on the table? Can we start a forum for an open discussion of the direction of the board/club? If we are going to be a club, will there be a charter?(no not fishing charter ). There is plenty of willingmness to throw money at our host right now. I would mail a check in a heartbeat just to cut threw the mustard. But I think a lower level discussion needs to occur first. As usual if I'm out of step, I'll gladly take my medicine and go sit down. What are we? How can we transition from a typical guy who just wants to get some good reports for striper fishing and attend a few claves (and contribute a few bucks) to this new mode(s) of member?

Just a few random feelings/opinions...
I don't mind paying a membership fee or whatever you guys want to call it.
I don't mind an occassional raffle.
I'll gladly purchase a hat, t-shirt, or even a simple decal identifying me as a board member.
But...I've had no luck at all trying to attend a clave...
and I'll be the first to admit that I frequent another board more often than this one, as it tends to condone more non-fly fishing subjects.
(Don't get me wrong...I accept this as a fly fishing only site!)
Doug B.

Yeah, one of goals this year should be to schedule a clave on a weekend when Doug is free! Doug, I could hear your frustration every time we announced a date and it conflicted with your previous engagements. You gotta know it wasn't intentional..... That's ok about Jeff's board. Many of us frequent it, too.

Terry, Juro, You say we need a board for discussing the nuts and bolts of the site? Uhhh, I've been begging for one for a year now!! And while we're adding one, let's subtract some of the others that haven't had a post in ten months!

And just to keep my record intact....having just been informed of Ssully's tying clave....well..err...ummm....
I'll be lucky to attend for a stinkin' hour! My kid has a basketball game smack dab in the middle of the clave @11:30 in Beverly.....curses!

Al: Here here on eliminating dead boards. Simplicity has many merits, especially to the new folks just cruising through. As someone once asked me " what's the difference between "Works For Me" and "Vested Knowledge" (rhetorical question, no answer needed). I shutter to add another board, but if we cleaned out the dead ones we would in affect have less. 2 pennys.